2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Preview – DS
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips
Racing is a cruel mistress sometimes. From the highs of Friday we were brought back to earth with a crashing bump. A blank on Friday with none of our bets running any sort of race. There’s no point in dwelling on it as we have another big day to come. Check out Dave Stevos’ 2023 Saturday York Ebor meeting tips below.
1.50 – Strensall Stakes (Group 3)
Just the six runners in our opening race, the 9f Strensall Stakes. Bar Chichester, they are all chalked up at 11/1 or shorter. Nostrum should appreciate the return to a sounder surface, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles this extra furlong.
El Drama was beaten by 6.75L by Chichester just two runs ago and he might want softer ground. Jimi Hendrix has not run well on all three starts beyond a mile so this trip has to rate a worry. The same sentiment applies to Flight Plan and he is unproven on fast ground too.
The value here could be Spirit Dancer. His Windsor win last time was franked by Tregony here on Thursday. He is a two-time course winner over 10.5f so unlike most of his rivals, we know he’ll stay. 11/1 is tempting but with just the two places on offer, we’ll sit this race out. If you were thinking of backing Spirit Dancer, I wouldn’t put you off.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: No Bet
2.25 – Melrose Handicap (Heritage)
Chillhi is a horse I’ve been watching very closely this season. Trained by Brian Ellison, this son of Churchill has been knocking on the door in recent starts and I’m hoping it’ll open for him on Saturday.
After a couple of quiet runs on softer ground to start his campaign, Chillhi finally found his form at Chester in May (12f gd). He was given plenty to do by Ben Robinson but he stayed on strongly to get up for 3rd, 1.5l behind The Nu Form Way.
That run came off 86, as did his next run over today’s trip at Haydock (14f gd/fm). After 2f he ran up the arse of the horse in front and got badly checked. 4f out he was being pushed along and he just couldn’t get into the race. At Newcastle (12f) last time it looked like Robinson didn’t really get stuck into his mount until he was sure the race was gone.
This trip, track and fast ground should bring out the best in Chillhi. As should the big pot. Robinson is replaced by Connor Beasley in the plate and he’ll be looking to ride his third winner from just fourteen rides for this yard. The one worry is the form of the stable but they’ve had a couple of places this week so hopefully it won’t be an issue. At odds of 28/1, Chillhi is the e/w selection.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Chillhi e/w @ 28/1 (4 places) NAP
3.00 – City of York Stakes (Group 2)
From a personal point of view, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kinross win this as I’ve a share in a filly that is out of his dam’s full sister. He won this race on good to firm last year but the other six of his turf wins have come on easy ground. However, the son of Kingman did run huge on firm at the Breeders’ Cup last November so he should be absolutely fine.
At bigger odds, last year’s runner up Pogo could make his presence felt. His best effort this year came on his penultimate start at Newmarket (7f gd). He was beat 2L into third in that G3 and it marked a welcome return to form.
Last time out he disappointed behind Witch Hunter but the ground was not in his favour. He won on good to soft in 2018 but his last seven wins came on good or quicker. 7f is his optimum trip and he only has 1.25l to find with Kinross from last year’s renewal (Sacred and Al Suhail 5L behind). A previous course winner, if Pogo pings the gates from stall 10 he should make a bold bid for glory under Danny Tudhope at odds of 28/1.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Pogo e/w @ 28/1 (4 places) NB
3.35 – Ebor Handicap (Heritage)
We are already on Cemhaan ante-post at 25s for this contest. He has a nice draw in stall 10, Hollie Doyle is up and the fact he has drifted to 33s doesn’t bother me. He was weak in the market last time too but he defied the drift to 66/1 and ran a huge race to finish 3rd. Reasoning for backing him can be read here.
The other one in here I like is Caius Chorister for David Menuisier. South African pilot Kyle Strydom will ride and it looks to me like this 4yo filly has been trained for this race. She races off 99 today, the same rating off which she was beat 2L in a valuable handicap at Epsom (12f gd/fm) in early June.
Outpaced
She then ran in a Listed heat at Pontefract. It was a poor effort but she did get hampered and I’m putting a line through that run. Last time out she ran over an inadequate trip on unsuitable ground at Goodwood but she shaped very nicely, staying on after getting outpaced.
That should have sharpened her up and she now steps back up to 14f. She has had two previous runs at this trip. On her first try, she ran a cracker over this C&D when second in the Melrose on this card last year (14f gd/fm) off 92. The ground was soft when she next tried it in Listed company at Longchamp but she wasn’t disgraced, beat just 2L.
Given how well she ran in the Melrose, Menuisier has surely targeted this race. She is racing off 2lbs higher than her actual mark but she proved she could be competitive off 99 at Newmarket. The fact that Menuisier isn’t claiming off her suggests he thinks that mark isn’t beyond her too. Quick ground is ideal, she ticks the course and distance box and at odds of 33/1, Caius Chorister is also worth backing e/w.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Cemhaan e/w @ 25/1 already advised; Caius Chorister e/w @ 33/1 (6 places)
4.10 – Constantine Handicap (Heritage)
If he is allowed to take his chance after running earlier this week, Mondammej can go well. This enigmatic son of Lope De Vega is a hard horse to catch right. I was convinced he was a going to win a Group race last year after his fine effort in the Temple Stakes. However, he has failed to win a race of any type since then but he is beginning to become well treated.
Antony Brittain’s charge races off 94 here. It is the same mark he ran off on Wednesday (5.5f gd/fm) but that race didn’t pan out ideally. He was always close to a very strong early pace and that blunted his finishing kick.
His best form at York has come over 5f/5.5f but when he has run well, it has looked like he would benefit from running over today’s trip of 6f. In May (5f gd) he finished off strongly for 2nd off 95 behind Chipstead and I think the key is for him to be ridden patiently and produced as late as possible.
He is drawn in stall 2, not far from the likes of Gale Force Maya (6), Anthem National (4) and Mums Tipple (3). They all like to go forward so hopefully this time, Cam Hardie can settle Mondammej off the early pace. This lad isn’t one for maximum stakes but he has bundles of ability and if he puts it all together, he is capable of going very close at odds of 40/1.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Mondammej e/w @ 40/1 (5 places)
4.45 – Julia Graves Roses Stakes (Listed)
We landed a lovely place with Pilgrim in the big sales race here earlier in the week. Dorothy Lawrence franked the form of his first run in the Lowther on Wednesday and Boardroom beat him more comfortably than that filly. She had 2.5l to spare over the Barron horse at Thirsk (5f sft) and it was a taking performance.
On her debut she found just Graceful Thunder too good at Beverley (5f sft), a filly that already had three runs (and a win) under her belt. She went on to land a Listed heat at Deauville on her next outing so again, the form looks rock solid.
The unknown for this filly is fast ground. She is a full sister to Project Dante, a horse that was beat 0.75L in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot on good to firm. Her other two half siblings liked a bit of an ease so it is probably 50/50 whether she acts on it. At odds of 25/1, it is worth taking the chance that she does.
2023 Saturday York Ebor Meeting Tips: Boardroom e/w @ 25/1
5.20 – Sky Bet Finale Handicap (Heritage)
In previous runnings of this race it has usually paid to be drawn low. Since 2003 just five horses have managed to win from double figure stalls. The interesting one at big odds from a lovely draw in stall 2 is Postmark. Trained by Milton Harris, the handicapper has given this horse a decent chance by dropping him 4lbs for his last run to 85. That was over C&D in the John Smith’s Cup when the good to soft ground wasn’t in his favour.
He also ran here in June when he got his favoured ground but the 12f trip probably stretched him. 10f is definitely his optimal distance on the flat and his last win came off 81 when landing a 26k pot at Lingfield in the Racing League. He was beat 0.75l by Tregony at Newcastle last August when running off 88 and conceding 1lb to the winner. She is likely rated 100+ now after her excellent effort here on Thursday.
At Sandown (10f gd/fm) last month Postmark finished 6th off 88 in a valuable race. He was 6L behind the winner but he was only a length behind Paradias who ran huge here on Friday. Tregony was a length behind Postmark in 8th. He’s 2lb lower now, this less testing track should suit him better and Duran Fentiman had a sighter on him last time out. At odds of 40/1, the son of Postponed is the e/w selection.
